is it a sin to drink alcohol catholic

Current scientific evidence points to the fact that there is no safe amount of tobacco. Just because alcohol can be abused doesnt mean it needs to be avoided. Learn how your comment data is processed. We should always seek to bring honor to the Lord in all our activities: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Very early in the morning, stopped at a desolate intersection, after stopping, I have run through a red light, thus breaking the law. He was no stranger to alcohol: While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. It helps strengthen our control over our bodily desires and avoid unhealthy attachment to the material world. Its a grey area of the Bible. This is because excessive drinking robs us of our reason and leads us to act in destructive ways that simply are not in harmony with our own human dignity and the dignity of those around us. The Church does teach that drunkenness is a form of gluttony, and a grave sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2290). Alcohol is not evil in itself. Its up to you to make the judgment. It may be imprudent or a scandal to others, but in itself, just because the State says it is illegal, does not make it a sin. Or if youre an alcoholic, going to the bar and getting a drink and saying Ill just have one is a very dangerous thing and could be a near occasion for sin, or be a sin, especially if you play it out. 5:1521). In the majority of cases drinking will not hurt your witness in America. How should we approach alcoholic drinks as Catholics? We regard drunkenness as a sin. If you are in a country where you have to be above a certain age in order to legally consume alcohol, then it is sinful to break the law. And many Christian celebrations often involve drinking wine and merrymaking. If this is the case, then its safe to say that alcohol is not inherently immoral. There is very good reason to detach young people from giving such over reaching authority to the State. Lets dive in a bit deeper to find out! In fact, St. Thomas Aquinas insists that the sin of scandal itself can be a mortal sin: because [the person] has such contempt for his neighbors spiritual welfare that he declines to forego doing what he wishes to do (ST II-IIae, q. Of course. 3). But whether its a venial sin or a mortal sin depends on the circumstances. Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do.. Yet, even if you dont drink and drive, excessive alcohol consumption greatly impairs your ability to reason. This can be in situations wherein your primary intention for drinking isnt for relaxation, or socialization but for intoxication. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from ( Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12 ). For an upperclassmen to lead an underage underclassmen into sineither by encouragement or examplefits Jesus words exactly. No. No. In the middle of the 19th Century, alcoholism was wide spread in America and thus there were many successful attempts to limit its use by pointing out its moral deficiency. If alcohol is not controlled in your country, then feel free to drink. Harmful to body, mind and soul. Licit things, doing licit things like drinking wine is fine in moderation, but not too much, not to become drunk. In other words, some might assume Catholics can't have funor can't enjoy alcohol. Jeffery Curtis Poor | March 1, 2022March 22, 2021 | Featured, What Does the Bible Say About What does the Bible say about drinking? People drink for various reasons. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit. How would you have answered these questions: Is drinking a sin? One Bible verse that clearly supports the intake of alcohol is the apostle Paul's admonition to Timothy to drink wine for health reasons: No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. All rights reserved. Alcoholic drinks are accessible and available everywhere. Alcohol is complicated, and today many dont know what the Catholic Church teaches about it. Le Ann is managing editor of Beautiful Christian Life. St. Paul is very serious here: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, There are all kinds of neutral grounds where one can evangelize (e.g., sports, intramurals, meals, etc.). Weve already touched on this a little above. I disagree that you can be justifiably upset for getting pulled over at 3 over the speed limit. He not only approved of drinking wine but he, himself, drank wine on several occasions. The primary mission of Christians is to tell those around us about what Jesus has done (Matthew 28). They drank alcohol during many social functions, including church events like ordinations. So, you know, God deals with us as individuals. If your drinking hinders someone coming to know Jesus than we should abstain. What if the Sate forbid having more than two children (China), would it be a sin to get pregnant with the third? This is why combining drinking alcohol with the operation of any kind of machinery, including a motor vehicle, is so dangerous. Some drink to escape their situation, while others drink to celebrate. 10,076 people who died in 2013 because of drunk driving (or one death every 52 minutes)2. The Bible is clear that alcohol can be abused and that is a sin. As to your specific questions: First, if you are under the legal drinking age, you would do well to respect the law. A person who is at home and plans to stay at home might be able to have a second or third beer without any problem (read: without sin). Sometimes being in this state, may lead you to do actions that are sinful, such as violence, fornication, or saying nonsense hurtful words to others. He also drunk and was even accused by the Pharisees as a drunkard: The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Luke 7:34. (Gal. Lets hear from you! It's forbidden. In this latter case the intoxication would be a venial sin. It is simply warning against addiction and drunkenness. Jesus drank wine during his time on earth. Whats the wisest and most loving thing for me to do. In fact, Paul tells Timothy, Drink a little wine for your stomachs sake. I think Timothy was nervous and shy, and hed get, like, his stomach would get sick, and so Paul said Have a few glasses of wine and relax.. In these articles that are intended to accompany The Catechism in a Year podcast, we will present a travel guide through the major themes of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. you had no idea the punch at the party was strong), thats a venial sin. The Church, then does not consider consuming alcohol to be sinful, however, it does caution against drinking in excess. Alcoholic drinks have been around since 5400BC, which means the availability of fermented beverages was around even before Jesus arrived. Is drinking a sin, or is just drunkenness a sin? Any grave sins arising from that state are also mortal sins. This seems to approach relativism in my opinion. Or are we kind of beating a dead horse here? It may be imprudent on my part to suggest this example; but underage students use this excuse in spades and I dont think theyre on the same level (that is, underage drinking and going 3 mph over the speed limit). I once had a Methodist pastor tell me of a friend who was caught drinking at a party by one of his parishioners. I hope this post gave you some comfort if you are planning to have a drink sometime soon. Alcoholic drinks, specifically wine, is mentioned many times in the Old and New Testaments. Or even more important and moral, I would not want to put the police officer in the awkward position of feeling obligated to chase me down for something that hurt no one if in fact he thought he actually had a moral responsibility to do such a trivial thing. Sola Media Group is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Federal ID # 27-0565982. Drunkenness, however, was always considered sinful based upon the clear biblical teaching about it. And certainly not a low alcohol count. He lives with his wife Sarah and their four children in Atchison, Kansas. Part of developing into a mature Christian is recognizing that we are given both freedom and responsibility. This can have disastrous consequences. The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. To make things very concrete, drunkenness has set in when you cannot (or should not) drive a car. Would I be upset with a fine? The principle is clear: charity demands that we take into account how our actions affect others. Contact us toll-free at: (833) 843-2673. But in moderation, it is encouraged. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The other aspect that is typically almost entirely missing in this discussion is the charity we owe to our brothers and sisters and the recognition that our actions affect others. and Is Manifesting a Sin? For instance Ecclesiastes 9:7. Even Scripture praises God for having made wine to gladden their hearts (Psalm 104:15) that is, the hearts of men. At any rate, custom is a real thing in the application of law, as is apparent in St. Thomas Aquinas treatment of human law: for when a thing is done again and again, it seems to proceed from a deliberate judgment of reason. We hope we were able to answer your question, is it a sin to get drunk? We should be okay with a little grey. Church Planter. Being drunk is certainly a sin. If youre an alcoholic, and having a drink brings you near to the place where you are gonna lose control, that could be viewed as a sin. And in light of them what is the wisest and most loving thing for you to do? Answer: Abusing intoxicating drink is a grave sin if it deprives the drinker of the use of reason. Also, if we were pulled over for going three miles per hour over the speed limit, we would be justifiably upsetbecause such an action would contradict nearly universal custom in terms of the enforcement of speeding laws in our country. Who would readily believe such a thing? I think the scripture has this, near occasion for sin. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. St. Paul is very serious here: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1; see 13:1-7). It is simply warning against addiction and drunkenness. Therefore Jesus nor the Biblical writers advocated for drinking. Throughout most of Christian history the consumption of alcohol in moderation has been widely accepted and rarely condemned. But on the other hand it warns of the damaging effects it can have if its abused. He not only approved of drinking wine but he, himself, drank wine on several occasions. Fasting means taking a break from it for a time to grow closer to God. The Pilgrims brought 7,500 gallons of alcohol on their journey across the Atlantic. And there were many monks that brewed their own beer. 43, a. And as modern medicine advances theres much better options to deal with issues. One common argument is that wine in the Bible is really nothing more than grape juice. Only you can really judge what your limit should be. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Its absolutely acceptable and normal. If we make it seem like this is ok, its very easy for people to start being lax in other laws, natural or civil, that work for them or that people dont enforce. Where a culture of underage drinking prevails as the norm (and especially among otherwise serious Catholics), at a point having one or two social drinks turns into three or four (or five and six and beyond); and all of a sudden, those who were steadfast against drunkennessbut who insisted that underage drinking is OKfind themselves occasionally on the brink of drunkenness (and sometimes well past that point). These days, chastity seems to be so misunderstood! We should not be made to feel that drinking is a sin ( 1 Corinthians 10:30 ), although, at times, it may be inappropriate ( 1 . Listen to Jesus words when it comes to leading others into sin, whether intentional or not: Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to him by whom they come! Which view is correct? This is absurd. As we mentioned above, drinking alcohol isnt a sin, but overindulging in it can be. A: It is good to hear that you have entered the Church. Help us continue providing authentic Catholic spirituality! Is It Okay For Christians to Drink Alcohol? Strictly speaking, whatever may be classified under the head of liquids may be taken as drink or medicine at any time of the day or night on fasting days. Drunkenness is indeed a grave sin. This teaching is echoed in the New Testament . ( Psalm 104:14, 15; Ecclesiastes 3: 13; 9:7) The Bible also acknowledges the medicinal value of wine. However, the vast majority of non-christians are not put off by drinking in western culture. The Church teaches that drunkenness, i.e., the abuse of alcohol, is a sin but not moderate consumption (CCC 2290). Whos around you that you can impact? ( 1 Tim. Alcohol is not, in and of itself, tainted by sin. It is my opinion that our young people will face much greater moral difficulties than we can presently imagine. The blood alcohol limit established by law is much lower than actual gravely sinful intoxication, but it is the point at which some reflexes may be so impaired as to make driving unsafe. Excessive eating is also gluttony, but we can still eat and enjoy good food. But when taken in moderation, it can lead to a great time and awesome memories with friends. A positive criterion might be this: When you feel relaxed, that is a good time to stop drinking. 1 Timothy 5: 23. Often times the word that is translated as drunkenness also carries with it the connotation of a perpetual state of being drunk. This does have its good points, a people who slavishly follow the laws of the State make for a well ordered society, and it does help keep people from being lax and disregarding State law as unimportant. It is not a sin to drink alcohol in moderation. Ive heard serious Catholics nod their heads in agreement that drunkenness is a mortal sin. Alcohol is bad when abused. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivatebringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. , The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. , For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to doliving in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.. It never condemns it, but it often warns against the abuse of it. First things first: Catholics have long considered drunkenness a mortal sin; St. Paul refers to it as a sin that excludes one from the kingdom of God (see. 20:1), Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. 13:1). 17K views, 519 likes, 455 loves, 3.7K comments, 232 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. The only thing thats clear is the abuse of alcohol through drunkenness or addiction is a sin. Absolutely not. Lets jump in, what does the Bible say about drinking? RC Spirituality is a service of Regnum Christi that creates life changing Catholic formation materials in many media formats. The New Testament is even more emphatic in discouraging drunkenness. In many states, its legal for someone to drink underage in the presence of their parentsso thats not an issue. Im just kidding! It was commonly served during sacrifices and feasts. Never battle alone. Not only is it not, but among Greek-speakers, the Lenten discipline of abstinence from wine is relaxed on Sundays. It wasnt until recently that Christians started to ask, is drinking a sin? Le Ann is a writer, editor, speaker, wife, and mom who enjoys the Southern California lifestyle, including flip-flops, the beach, riding electric bicycles along the 101,and an occasional salted caramel Americano from Lofty Coffee in Solana Beach. Is drinking a sin? Drinking alcohol becomes a sin when you abuse it to the point that you are no longer yourself, and is incapable of making conscious decisions. While others see drinking as a reprehensible activity that can corrupt the soul. I would say also the same with sports. We should also consider how it effects those around us. Especially as we continue to face a State that is becoming more draconian in its laws. The Litany of Humility: What Is It and Where Did It. However, that's not what the Bible is saying. or altar wine thats specifically intended for Eucharistic celebrations. What does the Bible say about drinking?
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